I have rallied my tribe to help me with my weight loss goal. But my tribe can’t always walk with me. Instead of being demotivated I bring a virtual friend, which is often in the form of an audio book.

Right now I am listening to Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. If you know this author, she is all about authenticity, vulnerability, and trust – topics that obviously resonate with me. Though I must admit, I have never read her work before.

She is a researcher on the topic of shame and vulnerability. She asked people “What makes you feel vulnerable?” When she read the list off, it hit home. She said people feel vulnerable when they put themselves out to be judged; when you share your ideas, inventions, art and (what got me), writing.

I remember writing my first book and being terrified to share it with my friend and buddy coach. I put it in her hands and held my breath for what felt like weeks awaiting her feedback. When she let me know she thought it was great, I didn’t believe her. It wasn’t until she said, “I hate you, I wish I had written this book!” that I finally exhaled.

In that in-between time of not knowing what she thought, I felt anxious, nauseous, and at times even angry – responses to the true vulnerability I was really encountering. It’s hard to be alone in a room and write your beliefs and wonder if they’ll be accepted. But when you believe so deeply in something, in a concept or a vision, you feel compelled to do it.

Connection is that concept for me, that’s why I wrote a book, The Connector’s Advantage. I believe so deeply that connection is critical for everyone. Here I am again, feeling my fear, embracing vulnerability, and putting something out into the world and hoping it has an incredible impact.